Marathon Simulation Long Run
Workout - Marathon Simulation Long Run
- 5min @ 6'00''/km
- 5.0km @ 5'30''/km
- 14.0km @ 5'00''/km
- 5.0km @ 4'30''/km
- 5min @ 6'00''/km
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Intro
Lee Grantham’s Ultimate Marathon Long Run Guide: How Long Should Your Long Run Be? is worth careful attention. We’ve condensed the takeaways so you can run this workout right away. Watch the original for the full picture.
Key points
- Three factors drive long-run success: physical strength, physiological endurance (heart, lungs, aerobic capacity), and mental resilience on race day.
- Work at your goal marathon pace (say, 5 min/km), then also train 10% faster (about 4:30/km) and 10% slower (about 5:30/km) so race pace feels manageable.
- Long runs are training grounds for nutrition, a chance to practice marathon terrain, and a way to dial in recovery. Pay attention to how your body handles fatigue and where you’re losing strength.
- Structure a 13-week block (10 weeks of long runs plus 10 interval sessions, then 3 weeks tapering). Aim to nail at least 80% of your workouts on target if you’re chasing a PB.
- A benchmark race (10-13 miles or km) a few weeks out at goal pace builds confidence and lets you rehearse race-day fueling and pacing.
Workout example
Goal: build confidence at marathon pace (5 min/km) over a 24 km long run.
- Warm-up: 5 km at 5:30/km (10% slower) to ease in and build endurance.
- Main set: 14 km at 5:00/km (marathon goal pace), the heart of the session.
- Finish: 5 km at 4:30/km (10% faster) to push when tired.
Optional interval sessions (one per week): 3-4 repeats of 5 minutes at 3:00-3:20/km (10-20% quicker than marathon pace) with 2-minute recovery jogs. Sharpens speed while marathon pace becomes second nature.
Closing note
Try this structure with paces matched to your goal in the Pacing app.